Sunday, May 1, 2016

Today was Independence, CA - where Manson and others were processed and held following the Barker Ranch raids.

We were fortunate enough to get inside the courtroom!!! The below photos are the courtroom from outside the doors, then from just inside.

Above is the iconic LIFE Magazine photo of Lynette and Sandy, followed below by the seats they occupied. The courtroom has changed very little since 1969.

Above is the stunning view from the courthouse steps. Eastern CA offers some really spectacular views of the eastern Sierras.

Above is the now boarded-up Pines Cafe. While in Independence, the press would treat the girls to pie, sodas, and so on to have more opportunities to speak with them.

We had hoped to gain access to the old jail to see Manson's cell. The engaging folks in the courthouse informed us that it had been razed around 1990. Sitting between the historic courthouse and the Pines Cafe is this empty lot which was the location of the jail. We were disappointed but undeterred. We set out for the Eastern California Museum a few blocks away to see if we could find photos.

The curator of the museum was a great help. We were able to get these archived pics of the old jail which housed Manson in 1969:

They promised to research the archives for any surviving photos on the inside where Manson was held. If we get them we will post them for you.

We also tried to determine which of the motels the girls stayed in. The museum curator was certain it was Ray's Den on the north side of town:

But we think that there is a possibility that it is this one on the south side:

This is the Property Report from Manson's arrest October 12, 1969 in Inyo County. He gave an alias of Charles Miller Benson when arrested. According to Manson the officers booking him added the Jesus Christ alias, an alias he never claimed use. The charges on the report are 10851 which is a vehicle code charge for stealing a vehicle, 496 PC receiving stolen property and 272 PC contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The key impact of both crimes is that Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Felony Murder do not require the defendant to actually kill anyone or even be present when someone is murdered to be guilty of murder. That, of course, rather obviously is directed at Charles Manson.